1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cutting apparatus adapted to cut swarf, cuttings and chips discharged out of a machine tool etc. into minute pieces.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, swarf, cuttings and chips (hereinafter referred to collectively as "chips") being discharged out of a machine tool such as a lathe etc. in a machining factory are scattered about the machine tool and thereby deteriorate the working environment and safety thereof. For this reason, workers are required to periodically remove the scattered chips However, since almost all of such chips are elongated and have a shape like a helical spring, these become bulky and are difficult to handle. Even when the chips are thrown into a chip box or pit set within a workshop, for example, the chip box or pit is filled with the chips within a short period of time and the overflowing chips are scattered thereabouts to deteriorate the working environment again.
Under these circumstances, there has been an increased demand for cutting apparatuses easy to handle and suitable for cutting chips into minute pieces. To satisfy the demand, there have heretofore been proposed various cutting apparatuses of this type. For example, German Pat. No. 965,465 discloses a slitter comprising a pair of rotary shafts disposed in parallel with each other and a plurality of disklike cutter members disposed at prescribed intervals, snugly fitted around each of the rotary shafts, and each provided on the circumference of the cutter body thereof with a multiplicity of cutting edge projections so that the cutting edge projections of the cutter members around one of the rotary shafts are held in mesh with those of the cutter members around the other rotary shaft in a staggered fashion. Further, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 55-41309 teaches a crusher wherein a plurality of disklike cutter members are disposed at prescribed intervals, snugly fitted around each of rotary shafts, each provided on the circumference of the cutter body thereof with a multiplicity of claws, in place of the cutting edge projections as in the aforementioned German patent, for catching objects being treated, so that the cutter members around one of the rotary shafts are arranged in mesh with and at the opposite side surfaces thereof in intimate contact with those around the other rotary shaft.
In the former prior art device, however, since the crushing function can only be attained when the cutting edge projections mesh with each other, the crushing is effected intermittently and therefore is undesirable. Further, in the latter prior art device, since the cutter bodies are provided on the circumferences thereof with the claws complicated in shape, it is difficult to produce the cutter members. Furthermore, in any of these prior art devices, since a large gap is left between the leading end of the cutting edge projection or claw and a collar, there is a fair possibility of the objects under treatment coming out of the gap when the corresponding cutting edge projections or claws engage with each other, and since a drive source for rotating the cutter members is disposed apart from the casing, the device becomes large-scale as a whole and necessitates a large installation area.